2019 Lexus ES: It Actually Looks Pretty Darn Good

Lexus has made it clear that it’s not backing down from its polarizing spindle-grille design any time soon. So at least we can be glad that many of its new vehicles, including this striking 2019 Lexus ES sedan, appear as if they’re being designed around the pinched grille rather than having it pasted on as an afterthought.

Now that we’ve seen the seventh-generation ES in full, we’re starting to think that maybe the spindle works here. It’s surely the most stylish ES ever—or the most styled, at the very least. Now riding on the same Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA) as the recently redesigned Toyota Camry and Avalon (this version of the platform is called GA-K, specifically), the 2019 ES is longer, lower, and wider, and it has numerous mechanical upgrades that promise improved handling to back up its more athletic look.

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Not only does the ES share its 113.0-inch wheelbase and 195.9-inch overall length with the 2019 Avalon, it also benefits from the same upgraded pair of powertrains. The ES350’s 3.5-liter V-6 gains an extra 34 horses and 19 lb-ft compared with its predecessor for totals of 302 horsepower and 267 lb-ft of torque, while the ES300h hybrid’s gasoline/electric drivetrain consisting of an Atkinson-cycle 2.5-liter inline-four and an electric motor now makes a total of 215 horsepower, 15 more than before.

The V-6 mates with an eight-speed automatic transmission while the hybrid uses a CVT, and the front-wheel-drive-only layout remains. Lexus isn’t yet making any claims about the V-6’s fuel economy, but it does say that the hybrid is estimated to hit 44 mpg combined, which is 4 mpg higher than the previous ES300h.

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Although the addition of an F Sport trim to the ES lineup is predictable given this package’s proliferation across the Lexus lineup, the upgrade at least adds more than just cosmetics. Available only for the ES350, F Sport models get adaptive dampers, larger wheels and tires (19 inches compared with the standard car’s 17- and 18-inch options), and a more aggressive Sport+ driving mode that activates artificially enhanced engine sounds. The F Sport also gets a blacked-out grille with L-shaped inserts in place of the standard grille, which uses vertical bars radiating from the Lexus badge in the center.

Despite the faster roofline, Lexus says that headroom for rear-seat passengers is the same as before thanks to a lower hip point for the back seat and a reshaped headliner. Up front, the dashboard is dominated by an optional 12.3-inch wide-screen display (an 8.0-inch screen is standard), which unfortunately uses the same frustrating touchpad as other Lexus models but at least introduces Apple CarPlay—a first for Lexus. Various wood-trim offerings include Matte Bamboo, Linear Dark Mocha, and Linear Espresso, while the F Sport comes with aluminum trim that’s meant to have a wavy, three-dimensional effect.

The ManufacturerCar and Driver

A full array of active-safety features is standard as part of the Lexus Safety System+ 2.0, which builds on the outgoing car’s standard adaptive cruise control, automated emergency braking, and lane-keeping assist by adding bicyclist detection and improved pedestrian detection.

The 2019 ES will go on sale in the United States this September, and pricing should stay relatively similar to the current car’s starting figures of $39,945 for the ES350 and $42,815 for the ES300h.